Processing and packaging of textile slivers



June 7, 1960 w. H. WATSON ET AL 2,939, 84

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING OF TEXTILE SLIVERS Filed Sept. 4, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet l Fly 1.

June 7, 1960 w. H. WATSON ET AL 2,9 34

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING OF TEXTILE SLIVEJRS Filed Sept. 4, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 7, 1960 w. H. WATSON ET AL 2,939,184

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING OF TEXTILE SLIVERS Filed Sept. 4, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I NVE NTO RS WILLIAM HAROLD WATSON AND WILLIAM SLATER PROCESSING AND PACKAGING OF TEXTILE SLIVERS William Harold Watson, Werneth, Oldham, and William Slater, Helmshore, Rossendale, England, assignors to (Research) Limited, Oldham, England Filed Sept. 4, 1957, Ser. No. 682,096

Claims priority, application Great Britain Sept. 4, 1956 12 Claims. c1. 19-159 It is a well-known disadvantage of the conventional cylindrical sliver can, as commonly used for storage of the sliver output of textile machines such as carding machines, draw-frames and other sliver-delivery machines, that a considerable amount of floor space is wasted when the cans are assembled for their contents to be creeled at a subsequent processing stage. Furthermore, the cylindrical form of can is in some respects inconvenient to handle. These disadvantages become increasingly serious as larger cans are used, and it is an object of this invention to propose an alternative form of can whereby they may be obviated and which will be additionally advantageous in that they will enable the creeling of subsequent machines to be performed in a more expeditious and systematic manner with a consequent reduction of operative work load. Moreover, the benefits of economic use of floor space apply also to interprocess storage.

The invention uses sliver cans which are of substantially rectangular plan form and subdivided by transverse partitions into two or more rectangular compartments, such that each compartment may be filled by a coiler delivery with relative longitudinal traversing movement between the can and coiler. Conveniently, the throw of the coiler is such that the diameter of each coil of sliver is substantially equal to the width of a compartment.

The invention also provides a method of packaging slivers whereby slivers are coiled in separate compartments in a rectangular can, the distance between the center-lines of the compartments being equal to the spindle gauge of the machines to which said slivers are fed, so that a full can may be presented to the spinning machine with a compartment opposite each spindle. Such an arrangement utilizes the whole of the available floor space throughout the length of the machine.

The invention further provides a method of packaging slivers whereby slivers are coiled in separate compartments in a rectangular can, the combined width of all the compartments in the can being equal to the width of head of the draw-frame from which said slivers are fed.

For use in receiving the sliver output of a textile drawframe, for example, each compartment of such a can may be filled in turn from a single coiler delivery-head, means being provided for traversing the can in relation to the coiler head in a direction longitudinally of the compartments, the delivery being transferred, when one compartment is filled, to the next adjacent compartment by indexing mechanism applied to the can support. In such a Case the direction of traverse required to fill each compartment may be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the machine.

In the alternative arrangement which is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, however, two adjacent coiler-units of a draw-frame deliver slivers respectively into two alternate compartments nited States Patent 2,939,184 Patented June 7, 1960 ice of a four-compartment can which, when said compartments have been filled, is indexed through a distance equal to the width of a compartment, whereby the coiler-head deliveries are diverted into the other two alternate compartments.

In said drawings, Fig. 1 is a partly sectional side elevation of a coiler head delivery unit and the can associated therewith. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the lower parts of a pair of adjacent cans and of the traversing means upon which they are supported. Fig. 3 is a plan of the cans and the traversing apparatus. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan View of the right-hand part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3, drawn to a larger scale.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the four coiler units, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, 10 in Fig. 3, of a four-head draw-frame deliver their respective slivers to two cans 11, 11. Each coiler-head 10 may comprise a conventional circular plate 101 which is rotatably mounted in a fixed baseplate 102 and driven by a shaft 103 through the medium of a spiral gear pinion 104 meshing with a spiral spurgear 105 fixed to the plate 101. The plate 101 incorporates an inclined tube 106 by which a sliver 12 is delivered into the can 11 and therein laid in coiled formation by virtue of the rotation of the plate 101.

Each can 11 is of rectangular plan form and contains three transverse partitions 111, 111 by which the interior of the can is divided into four narrow compartments 112,113, 114 and 115, the width of which is equal to the diameter of the coil of sliver laid by the coiler 10, and may also correspond to the spindle gauge of the machine to which the slivers are next supplied, thereby utilizing the floor space to the greatest possible advantage.

Each can 11 is mounted upon a rectangular tray 13 which forms part of a platform 131 which in turn is slidably supported upon a carriage 14 capable of travers ing movement on the latter for indexing purposes in the direction of the arrow A. For this purpose the platform 131 is furnished at opposite sides with shoes 15 which ride upon bars 16 between limiting stops 17, 17, permitting an indexing traverse equal to the distance between the center-lines of two adjacent compartments.

The carriage 14 is supported by brackets 18, 18, at each end, arranged to slide upon bars 19 fixed upon a base-frame 20 athwart the direction of the aforementioned indexing traverse, so that the carriage 14 may be traversed reciprocally in the direction of the arrow B between limiting stops 21, 21 through a distance sufficient to permit coils of sliver 12 to be laid throughout the length of the can compartments 112, etc. The carriage traverse is effected by a right-and-left hand threaded screw 22 which cooperates with a nut 23 (Fig. 1)fixed to the rear of the carriage and is driven by suitable gearing from any convenient rotary part of the coiler-head drive, which is not shown but may be of conventional type. The arrangement is such that the carriage 14 together with the platform 131 and the cans 11, is traversed to-and-fro in the direction of arrow B, with automatic reversal at the end of each stroke for such time as is required to fill all the compartments of the cans with coiled sliver.

The apparatus is shown in the drawings in the position in which slivers are in process of being delivered by the coilers 10, 10 into the compartments 112 and 114 of each can 11. When these compartments are completely full, as may be determined by a suitable measuring mechanism 24 (which is driven by means not shown from the coiler-head drive), the platform 131 is indexed to the left, as viewed in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, so as to bring the coilers 10, 10 over the centers of the can compartments 113 and 115, respectively, so that these are filled in their turn Without interrupting the coiler-head deliveries or the constant to-and-fro traverse of the carriage 14.

The mechanism by which the indexing operation is performedcomprises two solenoids 25 and 125 which are mounted upon an extensionof the carriage, the solenoid 25 serving for an indexing movement to the left, and the solenoid 1-25 for thereturn inovement, both said solenoids being controlled electrically by the measuring mechanism 24 so as to operate in appropriatetimed relationship according to the stage reached in the coiling operations. The armature of the solenoid 25 is 'pivotally connected to an operating bar which is linked at its opposite end to a double-armedlever 27, 28 fulcrummed on the frame at 29. The arm 28 of said lever carries an arm 30 pivoted at an intermediate point 31 and having a tension spring 32 connecting it with the end of the lever arm 28, the part of the arm 30 which is remote from the spring connection havinga longitudinal flange such that when the spring 32 is stretched to its full extent the flanged part of the arm 30 will abut against the side of the lever arm 28. An adjustable stop 33 is provided to limit the movement of the bar 26. The parts 26 to 33 inclusive are duplicated in respect of the solenoid 125 by the parts correspondingly numbered 126 to 133, but it will be noted that the latter are reversed in their arrangement for thepurpose hereinafter explained.

Fixed to the platform 131 is a bar 34 which is arranged to slide longitudinally in suitable guides (not shown), and which carries two upstanding pegs or abutments 35, 135 respectively arranged to cooperate with the arms 30, 130 of the lever arms 28, 128. The bar 34 is also provided with slots 36, 136 which are respectively adapted to cooperate with peg stops 37, 137 fixed upon the operating bars 26, 126.

When the solenoid 35 is energized by the measuring mechanism 24, i.e. when the can compartments 112 and 114 have been filled, the operating bar 26 is retracted, withdrawing the peg 37 from the slot 36 of the bar 34, and simultaneously causing the lever 27, 28 to pivot anticloclcwise until the lever arm 28 abuts against the arm 30, which latter has been prevented from rotating by the inertia of the platform 131 acting through the bar 34 and peg 35. During this movement the spring 32 becomes fully extended.

On making contact with the arm 30, the arm 28 being now in efiect in abutment with the peg 35, pushes the bar 34 and platform 131 in the direction of the arrow A, indexing the cans 11 into the position in which the centerlines of the compartments 113 and 115 are opposite the centers of the coiler-heads 10, 10, so that the filling of compartments 113, 115 may proceed. During the indexing movement the peg 135 impinges against the arm 130, tensioning the spring 132 and moving the-parts 127 to 132 towards the position corresponding to that illustrated in the drawings with respect to the members 27 to 32.

Also during the indexing movement the peg 137 of the operating bar 126 of the solenoid 125 rides against the side of said bar until it is registered by the slot 136, when it enters the latter to lock the bar-34 against further movement. The fact that one or other of the pegs 37, 137 is in locking engagement with the bar 34 except during an indexing movement ensures that the platform 131 cannot be moved manually.

' When all four compartments of the cans have been filled, the cans are removed and empty cans are. placed on the platform 131 in the positions last occupied by the previous cans. In this case the compartments 113' and 115 are filled first, but after the correctly measured length of slivers has been coiled in these compartments the solenoid 125 is energized by the mechanism 23. The operating bar 126 is retracted, unlocking the bar 34 from the peg137 and the lever arm 128 and arm 130 cooperating to shift the bar to the right, so as to index the compartments 112 and 114.

During the return movement of the platform 131, the peg 37 of the operating bar 26 rides against the side of the bar 34 until it is registered by the slot 36, by which the bar 34 and platform 131 are again locked against manual movement. Furthermore, when the bar 34 has reached the locked position, the tension in the spring 32 is sufiicient to restore the parts 27, 28 and 30 to their initial position, thereby pulling the operating bar 26 outwardly in preparation for the next cycle of operations.

It will be understood that the invention may be applied to the filling of cans having any even number of compartments; for a can having six compartments either three coiler-heads may be used, or where-two coiler-heads are spaced apart by the distance between three compartments, the second and third pairs of compartments may be filled after two successive indexing operations. It is an added advantage of a can as proposed by this invention that it is capable of accumulating a greater weight of sliver per unit area of floor space than is the case with a cylindrical can. For ease of handling, the cans may be provided with castors.

This invention may be used at the carding engine with the card coiler delivering into three or four compartment cans. The width of each compartment in the cans could be proportioned to fit in with the gauge of the subsequent drawframe, i.e. for 18 gauge drawframes, cans with three compartments 6" wide could be used at the card and two of these cans could be fed to one head of the drawframe placed one behind the other, or for 20" gauge drawframes four compartment cans could be used, each compartment being 5" wide. At the finisher drawframe, the cans could be proportioned to suit the gauge of the succeeding machine, i.e. for speedframes, the width of the compartments could be equal to the spindle gauge and there could be three or more compartments in the can, or for feeding combers with 20" heads there could be four 5 wide compartments in the can, or each compartment could be divided to make eight compartments in the can. For sliver-to-yarn spinning frames, the width or" the compartments in the cans could correspond to the spindle gauge of the spinningframes in a similar manner to that already described for other machines. A sliverto-yarn spinning machine to which the invention can be applied particularly advantageously is disclosed in British patent specification No. 723,470, in which the sliver cans are housed during the spinning operation in a rectangular space enclosed in the base of the structure directly beneath the drafting mechanism.

The invention may also be used preparatory to a textile combing operation. A number of card slivers, say

, eight, are doubled at each delivery of the first drawframe, the draft applied being very low (less than 8), so as to produce a very coarse sliver. Said sliver is fed into a fourc0mpartment rectangular can and three such cans are creeled at a second draw-frame, the twelve slivers contained in such cans being doubled at a draft of say 12 to produce a coarse sliver. This sliver is coiled into an 8-compartment rectangular can, which is used to feed one head of the comber, which may be suitably modified for sliver feed instead of the more usual lap feed. Alternatively, the sliver from the second drawframe may be made into a lap for feed to a conventional bomber.

g The method of packaging'hereinbefore described secures the advantages of the known practice in which coilers are used to deposit the sliver output of cotton carding-machines and draw-frames in substantially circular coils in cylindrical cans. The coiling of the slivers in rectangular plan-form cans combines the advantages, which are not achieved by layering or'plaiting as hitherto, of the close packing of the slivers and their easy withdrawal at the next processing stage."

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of packaging the sliver output of textile processing machines in a can of substantially rectangular plan form and subdivided into rectangular compartments, comprising delivering coils of said sliver into said can, filling said compartments by relative longitudinal transverse motion between a coiler head and said can, wherein the diameter of said coils is formed to substantially the same width as said compartment and indexing said cans after each compartment is filled whereby to position said coiler head for filling the next adjacent can.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein two or more adjacent coiler-heads of a processing machine are arranged to deliver into a corresponding number of compartments of a multi-compartment rectangular can.

3. The method of packaging the sliver output of textile processing machines in a can of substantially rectangular plan form and which is subdivided by transverse partitions into rectangular compartments, comprising delivering coils of said sliver into said cans, filling each of said compartments by relative motion between a coiler head and said can in a direction transversely of said can and longitudinally of said compartments, each compartment in turn being filled with a single coiler delivery head, and intermittently moving said coiler head and said can relatively longitudinally of said can and laterally of said compartments to index each compartment in turn into position to receive the sliver delivered by the coiler.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the distance between the centre-lines of the compartments of said can is equal to the gauge of the machine to which the slivers are fed.

5. Apparatus for packing the sliver output of a textile processing machine, comprising a coiler head arranged to deliver said sliver in coil formation, means for supporting a rectangular can subdivided into rectangular compartments in receiving relationship to said coiler head delivery, means for effecting relative rectilinear motion between said coiler head and said can longitudinally of said compartments, and means for imparting rectilinear motion to the can transversely of the compartments.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said relative rectilinear motion of said coiler head and said can is carried out at right angles to said rectilinear motion of said can, and wherein one of said motions is continuous and the other is intermittent.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, for use in conjunction with a textile processing machine having a plurality of adjacent coiler-heads arranged to deliver output sliver in coiled form into rectangular multi-compartment cans, comprising a carriage mounted for rectilinear traversing motion, means for efiecting such traversing motion continuously with automatic reversal at each stroke, a platform mounted on such carriage with capability of limited movement thereon in a direction at right angles to the traverse of the carriage, said platform being adapted for the support of one or more of said cans in receiving relationship to said coilerheads, and means for indexing said platform on said carriage.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the carriage traversing motion takes place transversely of the longitudinal axis of the machine.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said indexing means operates automatically in response to mechanism measuring the length of sliver delivered by the coiler-heads into the can compartments.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, including a measuring mechanisms, a pair of solenoids wherein said measuring mechanism selectively operates one of said pair of solenoids which are respectively adapted, when energized, to operate mechanism for indexing the platform in initial and return directions, and comprising means for locking the indexing mechanism during the can-filling operations, said locking means being automatically released at the initiation of an indexing movement.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the indexing mechanism comprises in respect of each solenoid an operating bar, a lever linked thereto, and an arm pivoted on said lever and connected thereto by a tension spring, and wherein such mechanisms are arranged to cooperate with a longitudinally slidable bar attached to the platform, so as to reciprocate the latter for indexing.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, including stops fixed to said operating bar and slots in the platformtraversing bar, said bars cooperating alternately with said slots so as to reciprocate said bar for indexing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,858,945 Thierfelder May 17, 1932 2,736,071 Forsythe et a1. Feb. 28, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,481 Great Britain of 1842 12,476 Great Britain of 1849 347,448 Great Britain Apr. 30, 1931 

